19 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Dear Mr Party, the traffic officer won't believe you that Dr Grumpy or the pharmacist never warned you that you were not to touch a steering wheel if you took Fukitol.Nor that they did not warn you that combining it with booze and driving was reeeeally looking for Biiig Trouble. Have a nice day, Mr Party!

Not with the huge handouts that come with medication nowadays. They could still sue you, but they'd lose and it would just be an annoyance. Now, if one of their other meds reacted with this med to produce an effect that led to this, they might have a case against the pharmacist for not cross-checking their med list (usually done by computer now). Docs don't always know every med a patient is taking because they see multiple doctors or they just don't tell us about some meds.

(I think I just said "med" enough times to open a portal to Narnia if repeated quickly enough).

Sorry Grumpy but I can not bring myself to believe this one. For if I allow any form of belief of this one I must conclude that we are doomed as a species. I don't want to go there. I want to believe that even in these chaotic times there is still sufficient common sense and decency to lead us back from the brink. Have a pleasant day and I apologive for doubting your veracity.

I completely believe this happened to Dr. Grumpy as this has happened at the pharmacy I worked at in the past. Patient comes in asking if we could do the same thing, write a note stating they were on Vicoprofen (I think)or some other narcotic so that if they got pulled over they wouldn't be ticketed. I told the patient that we wouldn't do that even if they were on the medication because their driving is their responsibility not ours.

"Now, if one of their other meds reacted with this med to produce an effect that led to this, they might have a case against the pharmacist for not cross-checking their med list (usually done by computer now). Docs don't always know every med a patient is taking because they see multiple doctors or they just don't tell us about some meds." And, for the rest of the story...pharmacists are required by law to counsel...and, patients are often 'impatient' and don't seem to care for counseling.Whatever the reason that no counseling is given is neither here nor there. (And often has to do with 'where' the script was filled i.e. big box pharmacy, or local mom & pop).

The other issue the reply kindly brings up is that in the drugstore arena today, often the pharmacist can NOT know what the patient is taking, because patients like to 'shop around' using the discount coupon from deep discount store bargain basement for one drug then another for their Norco, and so on. (This may be a plug for national insurance...like our patients playing dodge the kibosh.) On the other hand, different States may be involved in monitoring all controlled substances dispensed from all pharmacies in the State.

(I like the projection in mind of waving Fukitol and 'effecting' any sort of 'balance' from 'imbalance' as well as the mental picture of 'effecting' coordination where no such coordination exists.)

I don't think that a pharmacy should be held responsible if medications interact in cases where patients go to more than one pharmacy. Even if you ask them what other medications they are taking, and they say, "NONE" and they really are, how does that become YOUR responsibility. I know of some pharmacies that make new patients fill out a form that asks what other medication (RX or OTC) they are currently taking? If they write nothing, and they are taking something, and it causes IRREVERSIBLE harm again, how is that the RPH or MD's fault?

Also, even if they do have an interaction, but they are fine after treatment, a lawsuit isn't worth it! I have a relative that is a Personal Injury/Malpractice Attorney and it's all about becoming whole. If you come out, the same way as you were before, than there is not much the court can do. Of course that depends on what you had to go through to get back to the way you were.

My dad told an MD that he was VERY allergic to an antibiotic. She said, "Well, you haven't had it since you were a little boy so you are probably not really allergic! Let's give you a dose, here, in a controlled environment, watch you and see what happens. If you react, we can counteract the reaction within seconds!" He reluctantly took the dose, they watched him for 90 minutes and he was completely fine! So, he filled the RX, took a total of four tablets and went into anaphylactic shock. He went to the ER, he was there a few hours, and was fine. His wife at the time, wanted to "SUE HER FOR EVERYTHING SHE HAD" and of course because there was no permanent damage the most he could have gotten was his medical expenses paid, and maybe a small amount for pain/suffering. But a "windfall," Not too mention, the whole experience cost him a few hours, a couple of bucks in co pays, and a bit of stress.

That is why MD's have such high malpractice insurance....people are sue happy.

RPH's out there.....what kind of "malpractice insurance" do you carry?

What kind of "malpractice insurance" do you carry?... the best I can get. Though not all pharmacists do. I've practiced about 20 years. Never been sued yet (I'm not in the US) but if I was, I wouldn't want to say... I wish I had spent the extra 100$ for the higher coverage.

SSS what does that come out to in payment though? Is it worth the cost/against your salary to carry the coverage or does your company support you if you were sued as an individual?

Just wondering?

My PCP told me that his malpractice insurance has increased 300% in the past six years and he has never had a claim against him. I can imagine OBGYN's or Neurosurgeons or Anesthiologists insurance premiums. SHIT!

Welcome to my whining!

This blog is entirely for entertainment purposes. All posts about patients may be fictional, or be my experience, or were submitted by a reader, or any combination of the above. Factual statements may or may not be accurate.

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